---
layout: page
title: "Template Sensor"
description: "Instructions how to integrate Template Sensors into Home Assistant."
date: 2016-01-27 07:00
sidebar: true
comments: false
sharing: true
footer: true
ha_category: Sensor
ha_release: 0.12
ha_iot_class: "Local Push"
logo: home-assistant.png
---

The `template` platform supports sensors which break out `state_attributes`
from other entities.

To enable Template Sensors in your installation, add the following to your
`configuration.yaml` file:

{% raw %}
```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
sensor:
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      solar_angle:
        friendly_name: "Sun angle"
        entity_id: sun.sun
        unit_of_measurement: 'degrees'
        value_template: "{{ states.sun.sun.attributes.elevation }}"

      sunrise:
        value_template: "{{ states.sun.sun.attributes.next_rising }}"
```
{% endraw %}

{% configuration %}
  sensors:
    description: List of your sensors.
    required: true
    type: map
    keys:
      friendly_name:
        description: Name to use in the frontend.
        required: false
        type: string
      entity_id:
        description: Add a list of entity IDs so the sensor only reacts to state changes of these entities. This will reduce the number of times the sensor will try to update its state.
        required: false
        type: string, list
      unit_of_measurement:
        description: Defines the units of measurement of the sensor, if any.
        required: false
        type: string
      value_template:
        description: Defines a template to get the state of the sensor.
        required: true
        type: template
      icon_template:
        description: Defines a template for the icon of the sensor.
        required: false
        type: template
      icon_template:
        description: Defines a template for the entity picture of the sensor.
        required: false
        type: template
{% endconfiguration %}

## {% linkable_title Considerations %}

If you are using the state of a platform that takes extra time to load, the
Template Sensor may get an `unknown` state during startup. This results
in error messages in your log file until that platform has completed loading.
If you use `is_state()` function in your template, you can avoid this situation.
For example, you would replace
{% raw %}`{{ states.switch.source.state == 'on' }}`{% endraw %}
with this equivalent that returns `true`/`false` and never gives an unknown
result:
{% raw %}`{{ is_state('switch.source', 'on') }}`{% endraw %}

## {% linkable_title Examples %}

In this section you find some real life examples of how to use this sensor.

### {% linkable_title Sun Angle %}

This example shows the sun angle in the frontend.

{% raw %}
```yaml
sensor:
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      solar_angle:
        friendly_name: "Sun Angle"
        unit_of_measurement: '°'
        value_template: "{{ '%+.1f'|format(states.sun.sun.attributes.elevation) }}"
```
{% endraw %}

### {% linkable_title Renaming Sensor Output %}

If you don't like the wording of a sensor output then the Template Sensor can
help too. Let's rename the output of the [Sun component](/components/sun/) as
a simple example:

{% raw %}
```yaml
sensor:
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      sun_state:
        friendly_name: "Sun State"
        value_template: >-
          {% if is_state('sun.sun', 'above_horizon') %}
            up
          {% else %}
            down
          {% endif %}
```
{% endraw %}

Processes monitored by the [System Monitor sensor](/components/sensor.systemmonitor/)
show `on` or `off` if they are running or not. This example shows how the
output of a monitored `glances` process can be renamed.

{% raw %}
```yaml
sensor:
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      glances:
        friendly_name: "Glances"
        value_template: >-
          {% if is_state('sensor.process_glances', 'on') %}
            running
          {% else %}
            not running
          {% endif %}
```
{% endraw %}

The [Template Binary Sensor](/components/binary_sensor.template/) is the one in
similar cases if you prefer to see an icon instead of text.

### {% linkable_title Multiline Example With an `if` Test %}

This example shows a multiple line template with an `if` test. It looks at a
sensing switch and shows `on`/`off` in the frontend.

{% raw %}
```yaml
sensor:
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      kettle:
        friendly_name: "Kettle"
        value_template: >-
          {% if is_state('switch.kettle', 'off') %}
            off
          {% elif states.switch.kettle.attributes.kwh|float < 1000 %}
            standby
          {% elif is_state('switch.kettle', 'on') %}
            on
          {% else %}
            failed
          {% endif %}

      next_sensor:
        ...
```
{% endraw %}

### {% linkable_title Change The Unit of Measurement %}

With a Template Sensor it's easy to convert given values into others if the
unit of measurement doesn't fit your needs.

{% raw %}
```yaml
sensor:
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      transmission_down_speed_kbps:
        friendly_name: "Transmission Down Speed"
        unit_of_measurement: 'kB/s'
        value_template: "{{ states('sensor.transmission_down_speed')|float * 1024 }}"

      transmission_up_speed_kbps:
        friendly_name: "Transmission Up Speed"
        unit_of_measurement: 'kB/s'
        value_template: "{{ states('sensor.transmission_up_speed')|float * 1024 }}"
```
{% endraw %}

### {% linkable_title Change The Icon %}

This example shows how to change the icon based on the day/night cycle.

{% raw %}
```yaml
sensor:
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      day_night:
        friendly_name: "Day/Night"
        value_template: >-
          {% if is_state('sun.sun', 'above_horizon') %}
            Day
          {% else %}
            Night
          {% endif %}
        icon_template: >-
          {% if is_state('sun.sun', 'above_horizon') %}
            mdi:weather-sunny
          {% else %}
            mdi:weather-night
          {% endif %}
```
{% endraw %}

### {% linkable_title Change The Entity Picture %}

This example shows how to change the entity picture based on the day/night cycle.

{% raw %}
```yaml
sensor:
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      day_night:
        friendly_name: "Day/Night"
        value_template: >-
          {% if is_state('sun.sun', 'above_horizon') %}
            Day
          {% else %}
            Night
          {% endif %}
        entity_picture_template: >-
          {% if is_state('sun.sun', 'above_horizon') %}
            /local/daytime.png
          {% else %}
            /local/nighttime.png
          {% endif %}
```
{% endraw %}